Harfleur (pronounced: [aʁ.flœʁ]) is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.It was the principal seaport in north-western France for six centuries, until Le Havre was built about five kilometres (three miles) downstream in the sixteenth century to take advantage of anchorages less prone to siltation. Harfleur is now on the eastern edge of Le Havre's urban area.